Holiday tour highlights Pottstown's finest historic buildings

Lisa and Jack Applegate at right talk to visitors about their home which was one of the tour stops. Photo by John Strickler/The Mercury

POTTSTOWN — Despite a light rain that insisted on sticking around throughout the day, small groups of people took to the sidewalks throughout the borough Sunday for Pottstown’s 26th holiday historic building tour.

The Historic Pottstown By Candlelight tour was a hit again, with hundreds turning out to visit 20 century-old homes, churches and businesses that they might otherwise never notice.

“This house tour, if I’m going to say anything, brings out the positive of Pottstown,” said Sue Krause, a chief organizer of the event. “You drive by these places and you’d never know how lovely they are inside.”

By Sunday, more than 200 advance tickets were sold. The record for the event stood at around 313 several years ago — a reachable goal by the end of Sunday.

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Carol Haynes was a first-time visitor at the tour.

“I’ve been wanting to get out for several years and finally did,” she said.

Carter’s Lock and Safe stood as the tour’s jump-off point and ticket headquarters where brochures explaining all the stops were handed out.

The tour acts as a fundraiser for area organizations.

“All the money from the tour goes back into the town,” Jean Carter said.

Things like the 4th of July celebration and the Carousel project have benefitted in the past from the tour.

“It just brings people from all over to see how people have renovated and kept their properties historic,” Jean Carter said, standing behind the counter in the shop she and her husband, Greg, own.

The shop, according to the brochure, was built in 1920, housed a dry goods store and then became Hatfield’s Candy before the Carters took over with their locksmith business.

A group of women in the shop, who grew up in Pottstown, marvelled at what they remembered.

“Look. They kept the same floor,” one said. “It’s just like I remember.”

“She gets emotional about this,” one of the woman’s companions said to Greg Carter, who smiled and displayed some old pictures of the place.

“It’s the ceiling, the cabinets, those ugly tassels hanging from the lights,” Jean explained. “People like these. It’s just ... they like the history.”

A neighbor to the Carters are the Kanes, who lived in Collegeville but bought the historic home of Dr. Eck three years ago.

“That’s what I like about Pottstown,” Sue Kane said. “There’s such a history ... It’s amazing to look at the generations of families that have gone out and done different things.”

“I think just being a part of the community is appealing,” Sue’s husband, Jim, said. “There’s a side of Pottstown people don’t normally see. We love it in Pottstown.”

While speaking with a Mercury reporter early in the afternoon, more than a dozen people moved through the Kanes’ home, marveling at the renovated kitchen and antique woodwork.

Charlotte Konnick said people like the Kanes make the tour so enjoyable.

“I enjoy, very much, meeting the owners,” she said

Libby Bunda, who acted as the greeter for the Kanes’ home, has been volunteering on the tour for approximately 20 years.

“I love to see old homes,” she said. We live in East Coventry but we used to live in an old one.”

Bunda said this year the flow of traffic was “steady” and that the quality of the tour might be the best it’s been in several years.

Part of that is the year-round scouting Krause does to try to grow the number of homes taking part in the tour.

“It’s got to the point now (that) we have to go outside the historic district,” she said. “This year, that’s why we’re down at Highland (Avenue at the Highland House owned by the Wybndcroft School). We were tickled to have them.”

Krause said she keeps an eye out for new locations to add to the tour and is always confident that people won’t regret joining the annual circuit.

“Once the people have done the tour, they’ve just had a marvelous time,” she said.

Andrea DeWane, who had a home on Walnut Street featured in a past tour but who has since moved, said the new additions attract her.

“Some of the homes are always on,” she said. “The newer ones I like to see.”

The tour featured many different things, providing something for everyone.

At Zion’s United Church of Christ on North Hanover Street, the basement served as a waypoint for tour-goers, featuring cookies and other treats, some of which Krause made herself.

On the 300 block of King Street, the Schumacher and Benner Funeral Home was opened. In addition to featuring an attractive property built 97 years ago, the third floor rooms were all occupied by Ed Schumacher Sr.’s elaborate train displays.

“I like to share my collection with other people,” he said. “They all seem to get really excited. Trains have always been a big attraction.”

Schumacher’s grandson Tyler helped run the displays, which stretched throughout every room on the third story.

The pride of property owners shined through as a green trolley contracted to help shuttle visitors around made drop-offs at each stop.

John O’Boyle, of J.O.B. Design and Construction, had his property on display.

“The exterior and interior are period intensive and if you don’t put the work in, it’ll show,” he said.

O’Boyle said he put 8-10 months worth of renovation into the property and is excited to be on the tour.

“The employees really got into decorating,” he said. His wife put extra work into a tall Christmas tree prominently displayed.

Rose Harper, a tenant in the building, made sure to decorate her area as well to show off for visitors.

“I think it’s awesome,” she said, knitting in her chair and listening to holiday music as she waited for visitors to come to her room. “I would decorate anyway, but I want to really show it off.”

Working in Reading, she’s spread the news about the Pottstown tour there and expects many to show up next year.

Harper also expressed a sentiment coming from many displaying their properties this year: the desire to check out the other places on the tour.

“Next time, I’m getting someone to watch my room,” she smiled.

Joseph Kirkland toured the properties with his wife and explained what the tour does for the town.

“It really exhibits the historical aspects of the town and reminds people of where this town has been and where it came from,” he said. “It’s especially great that (the property owners) are willing to allow people to walk through their homes. It shows the openness and the welcoming nature Pottstown has.”

“It’s wonderful people and nice homes,” Sue Kane said.

Such an undertaking required a lot of effort.

“We can’t do anything without our special help,” Krause said of her volunteers.

With the tour finally taking place Sunday, Krause couldn’t seem to stop smiling.

“This is sort of like my Christmas,” she laughed. “It’s a lot of work and a lot of love.”